Electrode for electrolytic condensers and the like



Patented Der. 2, 13@

*i entre starr rar-nn rre RALPH D. MERSHON, F NEW YRK, N. Y.

Application filed July 18, 1923, Serial No. 652,248. Renewed may 2,1930. i

'llhis invention relates to electrodes for use in electrolyticcondensers and the like, particularly electrodes composed of thin sheetmetal (usually aluminum), and its chief ob- 5, ject is to improve suchelectrodes in respect .to the mechanical strength needed to meet thevarious conditions of act-ual use. To this and other ends the inventionconsists in the novel features hereinafter described.

ro @ne form of the invention, .as embodied in an electrode of the typedescribed in my prior Patent No. 1,326,134, issued December 23,

1919, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which 15 Fig. 1 isan elevation of the electrode.

F ll i"ig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of 1g. y lBig.l 3 is ahorizontal section on line 3 3 ot Fig. 1.

Fig. .4l is a detail perspective view.

lFig. is a detail elevation of a portion of the electrode.

'llhe electrode illustrated consists essentially ot a crimped plate ofsheet metal, preferably very thin sheet aluminum, say from two to `ve orsix thousandths ofan inch thick, surrounded and carried by a suitablesupporting frame. Aluminum of such thinness is extremely pliable anddistorts under very slight pressure.

As stated, the plate 10 is crimped, that is, it is corrugated in form,the folds, crimps, or corrugations being deep and close together but outof contact with each other throughout theirilength. To facilitatecirculation of the electrolyte and dow of current through the same whenthe electrodes are in use the crimps or folds may be provided withapertures in their bends.i in the form of short slits,

4e as indicated at 11.

rll`he crimped plate may be made all in one piece, but it is moreconvenient to make it in two or more sections, for instance three, as

` shown in Fig. 1.

rEhe supporting frame isl preferably all metal, and in the form shown itconsists of vertical angle bars forming side members l2 and upper andlower cross members 13, riveted or otherwise fastened together. 'lloincrease the stiffness of the cross members they are slotted at theends, as at 14, and the intermediate portions are bent to give them acurved cross section, as shown in Fig. 2. The' edges of these bentportions may project beyond the surface of the plate l0 so that when 55the electrode is laid down on a table or other dat surface the crimpedplate will not come in Contact therewith. The tlanges on the side bars12, extending oppositely to the bent portions ot the cross members,perform a like @u function for the other side ot' the plate.

For the purpose of holding the plate 10 securely in the trame the inneredges of the upper and lower members 13 are seated in slots 15, Fig. 2,in the upper and lower edges @5 of the plate.

Each section of the crimped plate is provided at its side. edges withvertical reinforcing or stid'ening members 16. 'llhese are preferably,made of strips of aluminum ot su- 7e cient width and thickness to givethe desired strength and rigidity.

As illustrated, each of these members has longitudinal slots 17extending inwardly from its ends, which latter are bent laterally, tepreferably at right angles, as shown in Figs.

4. and 5. 'llhe strips 16 are also slotted longitudinally between theslot-s 17. To avoid weakening the parts, at least two ot theseintermediate slots are provided, as 18, Fig. t, 8@ separated by a shortbridge 19. For the sake of clearness, the width of the slots 18 issomewhat exaggerated in the ligure. At each side edge the crimped plateor plate section is pro.

vided with laterally extending fins 20, which e5 i extend into the slots18 and are welded to the contiguous edges of the slots, as indicated inFi 5.

n assembling the parts the upper and lower cross members 13 are seatedin the lslots ne 15 and 17, as in lFig. 5, and the laterally bent endsof the side stideners 16 are welded to the cross members. llt thestideners 16 are wide and thick enough to give the desired rigidity theycan serve the purpose of the side mema5 bers 12, but l prefer to use thelatter also, in some cases at least.

rlhe dat end portions or ears 21 of theI upper and lower cross membersadord convenient points t'or grasp by supporting means 10e (not shown)to hold the electrode upright in the electrolytic cell,land one or bothof the ears on the upper member can be used as a point of connectionwith the external circuit in any suitable manner, not shown.` Thestilleners 16, by their welded attachment to the crimped plates and tothe cross members of the frame, aord electrical connection of goodconductivity and substantial strength between the plate itself and thesurrounding frame. Their mos't important function, however, is toprevent vibration of the otherwise unsupported side edges of the plate.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificconstruction herein described, but can be embodied in other formswithout departure from its spirit.

I claim:

1. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a corrugated plate ofthin sheet aluminum, and metal stiening members atthe side edges of theplate parallel with the corrugations thereof and having weldedconnection therewith.

2. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a corrugated plate ofthin sheet aluminum and longitudinally slotted stilfening members ofmetal at the side edges of the plate, and parallel with the corrugationsthereof, said side edges extending into the slots in the stieners andwelded thereto. f

3. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a corrugated plate'ofthin sheet aluminum, and a supporting frame of metal surrounding andsecured to the plate, said frame having side members parallel to thecorrugations, to which side members the edges of the plate are welded,and cross members to which said side members are welded.

4. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a plate of thin sheetaluminum, and a supporting frame surrounding the plate, having crossmembers above and below the plate and metal side members to which theside edges of the plate are welded, said side members havin their endsslotted to embrace the inner e ges of the cross members.

5. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a crimped or folded plateof thin sheet aluminum having slots in its edges extending across thecrimps or folds, upper and lower cross members arranged with their edgesseated in said slots, and metal side members having longitudinal slotsinto which the yside edges of the plate are extended and welded andhaving their upper and lower ends slotted o embrace the upper and lowercross memers 6. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a crimped orfolded-plate o thin sheet aluminum having slots in its edges across thecrimps or folds, and a metal supporting :frame surrotlnding the platehaving vertical and cross-members the latter arranged with 'their edgesseated in said slots, the vertical members having longitudinal slotsinto which the side edges of the crimped plate are extended and welded,said vertical members having their ends bent laterally and slotted toembrace the cross members, and the bent ends of the vertical membersbeing welded to the cross members.l

7. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a corrugated plate ofthin sheet aluminum, and metal stitfening members at the side edges ofthe plate parallel with the corruga- ,tions thereof and connectedtherewith to revent vibration of the side edges of the p ate.

'8. In an electrode for electrolytic apparatus, a corrugated plate ofthin sheet aluminum, and a supporting frame of metal surrounding andsecured to the plate, said frame having side members parallel to thecorrugations, to which side members the edges of the plate are'electrically and mechanically connected to prevent vibration of the side-edges of the plate, and cross members to which said side members areelectrically connected.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature.

RALPH D. MERSHON.

